The first addition is unfermented juice, known as must, from viognier grapes that have been infected with a benevolent fungus called botrytis. This noble rot reduces the water content in the grapes while magnifying their sweetness and complexity. The second is pinot gris must intensified by a process called dropping fruit, where large clusters of grapes are clipped to amplify the quality of those left behind.

Noble Rot is brewed with pils and wheat malts and fermented with a distinct Belgian yeast strain. It has a spicy white wine body and a dry, tart finish.

T-M- Taste is one of a kind with a bite of unripe white grapes straight off the vine flavor and a musky over rippend rotten grape finish... nice mixture of Saison flavor. First off the taste is some what wine like with slight yeasty undertones to make it beer. Funky after taste of very overdone yeast almost makes its flavor a over fermented apple cider.Mouthfeel is a watery medium carbonated sweet juice like fluid with a lingering musky film on the palate.

O- Looks like its a joke but one sip will leave you wanting more. For the style i'm not sure its there with the Farmhouse but its a sweeter version... OK in my book. (1,089 characters)

This Saison (of sorts) was brewed with botrytis (noble rot) infected juice from Viognier grapes and Pinot Gris must, which was intensified by “dropping fruit” (cropping the grapes). It’s then balanced with Pilsner and wheat malts, and finished with a Belgian yeast strain. Although its wine-like flavors dominate, Noble Rot tastes just as interesting as it sounds; demanding a “must” try for adventurous palates. (715 characters)

T - The grape component of this is quite prominent. Taste includes some grape juice flavors, as well as white wine flavors. Has a pleasant tartness to it, especially near the finish. Also a nice funk presence, not overly heavy, but present throughout and more prominent on the finish.

M - Medium mouthfeel has a nice acidity, with a dry earthy finish.

O - In some ways, this is one of my favorites from DFH. Definitely not a traditional saison, but a nice twist on the style. (716 characters)

Noble Rot opens with an almost Flemish nose, full of sour and tart aromas that tingle the nasal passages. Lemons, oranges, limes, and pink grapefruit dominate the profile, along with a good backing of the kind of sour funk that goes well with Flemish sours (though nowhere near the potency). A good layer of baguette lies just beneath, joined by brown sugars and touches of caramel. Overall, the nose is intriguing, and obviously bends toward the citrus and sour profile, though is balanced enough by sugars and grain aromas to not smell like sour citrus candy.

On the tongue, the beer is more sour than the nose let on, beginning with a huge dose of fresh-squeezed and unsweetened lemon, lime, and grapefruit juices, mixed with a sour flavor that nicely complements the tartness, much like eating just the skin of a peeled grape or kiwi, without the sweet center to offset the tangy rind. These opening flavors make up the vast majority of the flavor profile, making the beer taste somewhat like sour candy. Some brown sugars and toast crust lie beneath, but can get easily lost against the sour/tart blast. The aftertaste is more sour/tart, perhaps even strengthened by the dying off of sugars, and at least for this reviewer is mixed with an overtone that reminds me of accidentally biting into a grape stem, or gnawing on a fresh-cut green tree twig, being heavily woody and plant-like. This latter flavor doesn't quite fit with the rest of the brew, and makes the aftertaste moderately unpleasant. Mouthfeel is medium-light to medium, and carbonation is medium to medium-high.

Overall, once I got used to the sour/tart combo, I found the beer quite good, especially after I noticed that the flavors were strong enough to mask the 9% ABV. I do wish something could be done about the tree twig aftertaste, but luckily another mouthful of beer quickly solves that (admittedly, this is a very dangerous solution). Certainly an interesting brew, and like almost everything Dogfish Head makes, is worth trying. (2,011 characters)